After the Red Fox Clans
by ArcedArrow
Summary: This is what I think will happen after the Red Fox Clans. (Spoilers for book 13). Please Review. I will upload regularly, well as regularly as I can. Disclaimer: I own none of the characters. All characters belong to John Flanagan. Forgive me for any grammar issues :)
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice. All Characters Belong to John Flanagan. Plz Review…... Prologue

"And I think I know just the men you need," she(Cassandra) said.

"What men are they, are they fierce?Are they Prime fighting men?" Almost a thousand questions sprang to Madelyn Altman's head. But her mother dismissed them with a wave of their hand. Now their conversations overheard, the men defending the south tower all gathered around the mother and daughter, all eager to hear the men that will bring the doom to the infamous Red Fox Clan. The Red Fox Clan has surrounded Castle Araluen's south tower for days now. They had tricked their way into the castle and demanded the return of succession of the throne only to the males.

Cassandra continued, "Yes, Yes, they are Prime Fighting men. The kind that will scare the devil out of the Red Fox scums. "

The men gathered closer, eager for this important piece of information. Cassandra paused for a moment of drastic reaction, but none came, so she went on with it. "Skandians."

A tidal wave of disappointment swept through the gathering crowd. But Maddie remained where she is. "Skandians?" she asked.

"Yes" came the reply.

"But how are we going to find Skandians? Well, Skandians won't materialize in thin air, you know that right?" Maddie asked sarcastically.

Cassandra was not abashed by the sarcasm at all, she said " Hal and his crew."

"Hal and his crew, that ten men? It won't make a difference Mother." Maddie said impatiently.

"Well I think your ranger training is in vain if you don't even recognize the power of ten battle-hardened Skandians." As she said that, Maddie finally understood the plan, and for the first time in weeks, she smiled.


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: None of the Characters belongs to me, all ORIGINAL ranger's apprentice characters belongs to John Flanagan. All made up characters belongs to me 🙂.

Chapter 1

Gilan strode through the milling mass of crowds up the stairs, and headed straight toward the command tent, Horace's tent. He pushed open the covers and found Horace sharpening his sword.

"Isn't that sharp enough?" Gilan asked innocently.

"Sharp enough to chop off your head in one swap but not as sharp as id liked." Horace replied gruffly.

"I trusted enough that you would not do that." Gilan said confidently. Then Horace's sword seemed to fly over the space right to Gilan's neck and halted a few centimeters. Gilan stood unabashed and unmoving.

"I thought you would run away and scream like little children." Horace said innocently.

Gilan smiled thinly and said, "How could I run away and scream like little children in the Eyes of the future King."

Horace cannot think of a reply and just grumpily said, "Shut Up."

Gilan burst out laughing and Horace gave him a sidelong withering look. Gilan seemed to not notice the look and continued laughing.

"Nothing like a laugh to start of the day." Gilan said, his eyes full of mischief.

Gilan was still laughing when a Calvary man from Horace's troops crashed into Gilan and sending him reeling into Horace.

Gilan muttered a curse and Horace snorted a laugh.

"Nothing like a good laugh to start the day." repeated Horace, straight faced.

If looks can kill, Horace would be dead a thousand times already.

The Calvary men coughed to catch the two men's attention. Horace made na apologetic gesture. "Go on Adams." he urged.

"Sir, I do not think you have noticed or deemed it important, but the enemy is coming up the hill."

(Transition in scene...)

" Are you sure you want to do this?" Cassandra asked her daughter.

"Well, it's the only way right?" replied her daughter calmly.

"Well, I give you my blessing." Cassandra said seriously.

Her daughter gave her a wan smile. "All will be well my mother, all will be well." She reassured her mother.

"Then off you go." Cassandra said, obviously not enjoying the farewell.

Maddie grinned at Cassandra, and her mother scowled at her.

"I will make sure everything is ok and no one trod on my arm."

"Trod on your arm?" Cassandra asked.

"Long story." Maddie replied, hiding a smile.

Maddie moved to the concealed door and turned the door knob.

"Godspeed." said Cassandra wiping away a tear, she apparently can't bear the news of sending her daughter into dangers, but what she did not realize is that her daughter is a warrior, used to thinking and planning and fighting. And hopefully those skandians are going to be there.

…... TO BE CONTINUED...

I will apologize for the length of the chapters...(cough, cough, 300 words, cough cough)

I will try my best to make it long xD. The next update will probably be on Thursday of Friday.


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Rangers apprentice but own any other made up characters. I own the plot and the storeis just not the characters.

Thank you for all of you who reviewed. :)

Chapter 2

"The enemy attacking?Now?" Horace ask urgently.

" Yes." replied Adams, the calvary men from Horaces troop.

"Well Gilan, let's take a look at those Red fox scums, shall we?." Horace said.

"Oh, I'd rather see them retreating than advancing." Gilan replied.

"Well, let's see them back shall us? Horaces directed it at Gilan and the calvary officer.

There are grunts of agreement from the men.

Horace and Gilan exited the tent and climbed the ladder to the palisite.

"Hmm. This is interesting, they appears to have a flag of truce and still bear weapons and siege weapons." thought Gilan out loud.

"Well, this doesn't happen often. And I am not blind I can see that myself." Horace replied with some intensity.

Gilan gave Horace a withering look and continued, "Well lets hear what they have to say."

Horace grunted.

"I have a flag of truce. Will you respect the white flag?" the herald bearing the flag shouted.

"We will." Shouted Horace.

"And God knows why we just not shoot him down." muttered Gilan.

"If you touch your bow, you might just find my sword in your neck, for real this time." Horace whispered.

Suddenly Horace remembered the day on the Plains of Uthral the day they defeated Morgarath and remember Halt saying the same thing. He wondered if it is a good idea for Halt to train apprentices. At least Will is not impulsive like Gilan. Not as impulsive, he amended.

Then the shout from the herald disrupted Horace's thoughts," I suggest you surrender yourselves, Araluens."

"Why should we?" Gilan replied," It seems to me that we are still in the palisate and you are not."

"It won't matter, we will break inside soon."

"Well, I gracefully decline your generous suggest for surrender." Gilan said

"Well. Well. Well." The herald said," Attack."

(Transition in scene...)

Madelyn Altman climbed down the vertical ladders to the cellar below. She almost fell once but only her Ranger standard instinct saved her from falling to her death.

She carefully walked through the tunnel that led to the bush of trees that concealed the secret entrance to the castle and found Bumper, her ranger horse staring at her.

 _Fine ranger you are. Nearly falling to your death 2 times, 1 up and 1 down._

Maddie stared at her horse in surprise," How do you know this?" she asked.

 _I know everything in your mind. Oh, have a mentioned that I am a mind reader._

Maddie gave her horse an skeptical expression. Her horse sniggered, if a horse could be said to snigger.

"Well time to find Hal and his crew."

(Transition in scene)

Hal leaned forward to study the ship closely. He knows that the ship is not as badly damaged as the skirl said it is. Well, sailors did tend to exaggerate things.

"Well, your ship is not damaged that much." I will patch it up and you can sail it back to Skandia then." Hal told the stricken skirl beside him.

After hearing the news, the skirl's face brightened, he considered him lucky to let Hal, one of the finest shipbuilder in Skandia to help him.

"Well boys, let's get to Castle Araluen and say farewell, shall we? Hal asked

"We can always use that wild boar meat on the journey home hun?" Stig replied.

"Not like you would die without meat." Hal said.

"Well meat helps me stay on task."

Hal and Thorn snorted in unison.

Little do they know that on the way back, they would be involved in a intensifying conflict...

(To Be continued.)

Author's note: See much longer chapter (cough, 650, cough) Please review. Review is life. I want to hear the feedback from you guys. (If you don't review I will get Halt to shoot you. He rarely misses, just saying)

Next Update will be Probably Monday or Tuesday.


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Rangers apprentice but own any other made up characters. I own the plot and the stories just not the characters.

Thank you for all of you who reviewed.

A special thanks to AreiaCannaid to you continuous feedback and support. 🙂

Chapter 3

The enemy surged over the terraces and up the hill. They advanced slowly and surely, forming an impenetrable shield wall to protect themselves from the deadly rain of arrows that the Araluen archers is capable of producing.

"Divide your men into two groups, and have one shoot plunging volleys and the second one shoot normal volleys." Gilan said to his senior archer,"I'd rather see them confused."

"I'd rather see them dead." the archer grinned at him and get to work.

The effects of the volleys are instantaneous, while the enemy try to cover their heads for the plunging volley, they are exposed to the frontal volley produced by the second group. Men fell along the enemy line but there is still around a hundred in the advance group.

It is then that they heard commotions behind them. Remained unnoticed by the Araluen army, a group of the enemy slipped out of camp and is attacking from behind...

(Transition in scene)….

Maddie got up early in the morning to continue the ride to the shipyard still far away. She passed by a river and decided to ride along it because she could use some fresh water for her canteen and although she will never admit it, her horse.

Bumper has been teasing her the entire trip to the river with her slip off the ladder. Maddie just will never get the last word with a creature that neighs, stomps, and make sarcastic comments.

 _Fine Ranger you are._ Her horse mumbled to her.

"Hmm." Maddie replied.

 _Maybe you don't deem it interesting but there is apparently a ship heading this way._ Bumper noted.

Maddie reared in surprise and saw the ship. It is graceful in every aspect and with an image of a bird and triangular sail on the main mast.

Maddie yelped in excitement as she recognized Heron, Hal's ship.

 _Bit your tongue._ Bumper said unsympathetically _._

Maddie glared at her horse and abandoned the expression as she saw that Bumper did not seem to notice.

(Transition in scene.)…..

Hal was onboard having fun throwing sarcastic comments at Thorn when he heard his lookout, Jesper yelled," Men 45 degrees to the mast, 100 meters away." Which is not exactly accurate because there is only one person and it is not a man, but a female.

Hal strode up to Jesper and saw the person. He wore a dyed green and gray cloak, which often camouflaged him and bending him into the background. Surprisingly, he realized, it is a ranger. And a she, he amended.

And then, the ranger seemed to recognize him too, and started waving and jumping. Robably hoping the ship to stop.

"Down sail. Oars backwater." Hal ordered.

The ship stopped a few yards from the ranger.

She threw back her cowl and Hal recognized Madelyn, the princess royal of Araluen.

Review and thank you for reading. Forgive any grammar issues please.

Next update will be probably Wed or Thur. I'm working on the Prologue for reversed right now and I am stuggling to find a name for the main villain...

Thank you for reading once again.


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Rangers apprentice but own any other made up characters. I own the plot and the stories just not the characters.

Thank you for all of you who reviewed.

Chapter 4

"Quick, Quick. Men to the left wall, surprise attack..." Horace shouted in his voice, trained to be carried over the terrible din of battle.

"Archers keep their heads down, keep shooting." Gilan shouted.

"Our pleasure," replied the grizzly senior archer," I will have my boys shoot a plunging volley."

"Be my guest." Gilan nodded," I'll go show these guys never to attack us again.

And with that, Gilan left, long bow in his hand and his sword by his side. Now, the main line of enemies had already made contact with the wall. The defenders leaned in eagerly, striking the attackers on the ladder. But the fight wasn't so one sided, the enemy archer is picking off defenders too.

Gilan searched for the origins of the sudden volleys of arrow released at him and caught sight of a group of 3 men, bearing the corporal standard. He let his shots fly, releasing the three arrows. All struck home, his targets lay still on the sodden grass. Normally. Gilan would not kill, but this is a special situation, and there is no time for carefully aimed shots.

Meantime, Horace charged the leader of the frontal assault, the enemy commander fell back and desperately tried to parry Horace's whirlwind of forehands, backhands, side cut and more.

Eventually, one cut got through the enemy commanders defense, it took him in the chest, killing him instantly, he fell back over the walls, stone dead.

The Araluen army cheered, but the attackers on the left wall rallied, and the Araluen army has not sent anyone to reinforce it...

(Transition in scene)…..

Thorn chewed his mustache thoughtfully, " so you want us to help you take over the hill fort and release your Dad, and then go to castle Araluen and rescue Cassandra?"

"Yes, that's basically the idea." Maddie replied easily, " I've never known a Skandian who opposed a fight." Maddie smiled inwardly.

"Ok, fine, we'll do it." Hal replied and cheers erupted throughout the ship.

"I knew it." Maddie thought to herself, "No true Skandian ever refuses a fight."\

(transition in scene...)

"What do you think they are doing, are those banging and hammer sounds." Cassandra asked Meralon.

"I bet they are making siege machines or catapults, my lady." Meralon replied thoughtfully.

"Catapults," Cassandra gasped, " How are we going to defend against that?"

"Catapults be no use to smash the walls, my lady." Meralon cackled.

"Hmm."

"Sedimentary rocks won't even make a scratch on those granite walls of the castle. They might as well try to kill a dead cow." Meralon laughed.

Suddenly, a four wheeled structure rolled out of the castle grounds and stopped at Cassandra's field of vision.

"That's a catapult." Meralon whispered.

 **To be continued...**

 **Apologies for not being on time. Got some classes I've got to take. Sorry, again. I'm also working on the w=book Reversed. XD**

 **The next chapters will be about Monday or Tuesday.**

 **Please Review, Review is LIFE.**

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